The Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) and Steve Janssen announced on Sunday that the Belgian pitching expert is joining the Chicago Cubs organization. He will no longer be the manager of the Dutch national team and instead will work out off Arizona as a minor league pitching coach for the 2016 World Series Champion.
I am extremely humbled and excited to announce that I have been offered and have accepted a coaching job with the Chicago Cubs. Although I have greatly enjoyed my time with The Royal Dutch Baseball & Softball Federation and want to thank them for the opportunity they gave me. I am beyond excited for this new opportunity, as a Minor League Pitching Coach and the people I will be able to work with. I could not ask for a better situation or program to be a part of. Go Cubbies!
Janssen, a former catcher from Wilrijk, Belgium, came to the Netherlands to coach in 2000 and worked their as a coach for Neptunus Rotterdam and Sparta/Feyenoord Rotterdam as well as pitching coach and manager for various Dutch national teams. In 2013 Janssen was named manager of the Dutch national team and led them to European Championship titles in 2014 and 2016. At the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and 2017, as well as the Premier12 he was bench coach respective pitching coach to Hensley Meulens.
A successor for Janssen hasn’t been named by KNBSB. On February 1 Tjerk Smeets starts as new technical director and one of his first tasks will be finding a new manager. While there is no European Championship for seniors in 2018, the so-called Super6 will celebrate its debut in September in Hoofddorp.